Report: Beckham, Giants can’t reach contract agreement

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and the New York Giants failed to agree on a new contract over the weekend, according to an ESPN report.

On Saturday, Beckham told reporters he was “optimistic” the two sides would work out a deal. But according to ESPN, Beckham’s agent left town without an agreement.

Agent Zeke Sandhu and the Giants reportedly couldn’t agree on the market value for Beckham, who has said he wants to be the highest-paid receiver in the NFL. Antonio Brown of Pittsburgh earns an average of $17 million per season.

The Giants, however, apparently aren’t using the Brown contract as a benchmark and instead want to pay Beckham less than the $16 million annual average Kansas City wide receiver Sammy Watkins is receiving as part of the three-year, $48 million contract he signed as a free agent.

Beckham, 25, was the Giants’ first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft and is the final year of his rookie contract. He is scheduled to earn just under $8.5 million in 2018.

He is coming off a serious ankle injury that cost him most of the 2017 season. In his career, Beckham has 313 catches for 4,424 yards and 38 touchdowns.